Spark-plug.



' 1. RICK.

SPARK PLUG; APPLICATION FILED MAR. '11, 1915.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915. 6

mymrofl Jacob R|ck ATTORNEYS" WIT/V588 8 k .msaeaa.

ran snares earner JACOB RICK, 0F JERSEY CITYNEW 00., 0F NEWfiRK, NEW JERSEY,

JERSEY, ASSIGNQR TO THIUNE ENGIEifEERING A COPARTNERSHIP CGMPOEZED Q1 EE'TW YALMER, DOW B. HALLENECK, AND CHARLES; G. LINKER, ALL 02* NEWAEEK, NEW JERSEY. AND SAID JACOB RICK, OF JERSEY CITY, HIE-V7 JERSEY.

SPARK-PLUG.

Application filed March 11, 1915. Serial No. 18,662.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAcon Rang a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Spark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to spark plugs, particularly to an improved plug which is de signed to eliminate any short circuiting by reason of the building up of carbon at the sparking point.

Another object in view is to provide a spark plug with a contact ball and a cupshaped runway, whereby the ball will provide a path for the passage of current and will obviate any corners or projections where carbon may accumulate.

A San further object of the invention al to provide a spark plug with the lower or' inner end arranged with a concaved or cupshaped structure, whereby oil and other objectionable matter cannot reach the sparking members.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a spark plug embodying bv numerals, 1 indicates a sleeve threaded at so as to be rigidly screwed into place in the usual manner of spark plugs. The sleeve 1 is'provided with a squared enlargement 3 for receiving a wrench, said enlargement being provided with a lip l adapted to be pressed over in position for clamping the packing 5 tightly against the enlargement 6 of the porcelain stick 7. The porcelain stick 7 is supplied with a rod 8 having a head 9 rounded on its lower surface, and a thread ed pdrtion at the upper end for receiving a 'clamping'nut 10 and a wire clamping nut 11. The lower end of the sleeve 1 is pro vided with a shoulder 12 against which the lower end of the orcelain stick 7 is pressed when the lip e is orced into position, wherevided with an annular groove 13, sai

by the porcelain stick is rigidly held against movement.

The lower end of porcelain sticl' 4 is prod groove being semicircular in cross section and merging into the periphery of the head 9 and also into the curved wall leicf the ball race 15- provided in the lower end of sleeve 1. By this construction and arrangement a ball 16 is maintained continually at the same distance from the head 9 when the ball is engaging the wall ll. It will of course be evid'ent that if the ball 16 is in contact witir head 9 the spark will jump from the ball to the wall 14, but if the ball is engaging wall 14, as shown in Fig. 1, the spark will jump from the head 9 to ball 16. The ball race 15 is in free communication with the cylinder of the engine to which the plug is attached through any desirable number of slots or openings 17.

It will also be observed that the extreme bottom end of the plug is provided with a cup-shaped structure 18, whereby oil or any foreign matter will be directed away from ball 16 and associated parts. Thisfzflso, will reduce the chance of building up carbon at the terminal. By arranging the ball 16 so as to be continuously the same distance from the head 9, and by providing all of the ball race 15 including groove 13 in a rounded shape, no corners or projections are provided to which carbon may adhere. The ball 16 may be of'any desired material, as for instance, steel, carbon or a mixture of metals, such as what is known as meteor metal.

Figs. 3 and 4 disclose a slightly modified form of the invention in which a packing nut or sleeve 19 is used instead of the form of lip 4. Also the lower end of the sleeve 1' is provided with a tapering wall 20 which assists in directing any oil or undesirable matter from the contact ball. In this form of the invention the cupped end 18f is deeper than that shown in Fig. 1, but it will be evident that in either form of the invention the concaved or cup-shaped structure may be varied to any desired extent without departing from thespirit of the'invention. it will also be noted that the runway 15 is cup shaped and merges into the groove 1.3,

15 way,

whereby a smooth continuous wall is presented to the ball 16 regardless of where the ball may be positioned. During the use of the plug it is evident that the spark may occur when the ball is half way between the head 9 and wall 14 which would naturally produce two sparks.

a What I claim is 1. Ina spark plug of the character dc.-

scribed, a sleeve provided with an interior scribed, a sleeve. provided with a runway semicircular in cross section, a porcelaln stick arranged in said sleeve provided with a groove semicircular in cross section merging into said runway, a contact member carried by said porcelain stick and extending into said runway, and a contact ball arranged in said runway, said contact ball being a predetermined size less than the distance between stick. v 3. In a spark plug of the character described, a sleeve provided with a runway at the lower end, said lower the wall of said runway and the contact member carried by the porcelain end being provided also with aplurality of slots for affording communication between the runway and the exterior of the plug, a porcelain carried by said sleeve, a contact ball arranged in said runway, and a contact member carried by said porcelain, the lower end of said plug being concave and providing a structure which will guide oils and other objectionable matter away tact ball.

4. In a spark plug of the character described, a sleeve, said sleeve, means for clamping the porcelain rigidly in position in said sleeve, said spark plug being formed with a cup-shaped runway, a plurality of openings extending from said runway to the exterior of the plug, with tapering exterior walls at the lower end and a concaved lower bottom, said tapering walls and said concaved bottom directing the oil away from said runway, a contact ball arranged in said runway, and a contact member connected with said porcelain.

In testimony whereof name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, JACOB RICK. Witnesses:

. ,EDWARD R. PALMER,

T. LINKER.

from said cona porcelain arranged in I have signed my 

